The Soviet Union

Introduction

History, a fundamental and important field of study that seeks to inform individuals of their own heritage and cultural roots, humans’ past conflicts and struggles, and can even provide insight into approaching a modern day issue. Today, it remains such an important aspect for modern day society to help individuals understand and perhaps learn from previous human affairs and interactions, among many other things. History is a combination of good and bad but is vital for citizens today to be aware of. Without history and without reflecting on it, society would be wandering around aimlessly. History, no matter how old, impacts our society today – whether it be learning it in school or having family members be a part of it or even simply reading about it. This posting will focus predominantly on the Soviet Union and it’s subsequent modern day countries but will also touch on a variety of topics such as dates in time, political leaders and certain major historical events – both good and bad.

The Formation, Creation and Ruling of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union, how did it all start? Well, being the linguaphile that I am, allow me to break down the formation of the name to begin. The word “soviet” is derived from the Russian word meaning “councillor” or “assembly”. Many of you may already be aware of the abbreviation for the Soviet Union; USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) or in Russian CCCP (Союз Советских Социалистических Республик). The Soviet Union was officially formed on December 30th 1922 due to the “Treaty on the Creation of the USSR”. (Surhone, et al, 2010). Agreed and signed upon by a group referred to as the “Congress of Soviets”, they represented their own respective nations which in this case consisted of; Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and what was referred to as the “Transcaucasian” nations, which are modern day Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. These leaders and executives were as follows; Mikhail Kalinin who signed on Russia’s behalf, Grigory Petrovsky who signed on Ukraine’s behalf, Aleksandr Chervyakov who signed on Belarus’ behalf, Mikhail Tskhakaya who was Georgian and therefore signed on Tanscaucasion’s behalf and Mikhail Frunze, who was a Bolshevik leader and key member of the party during the Russian Revolution of 1917, where the rise of the Soviet Union began to take part. (Surhone, et al, 2010). According the documentation, the Treaty provided flexibility and therefore allowed nations to be admitted as members. (Surhone, et al, 2010). After 18 years, the Soviet rule grew from the initial four nations to now fifteen republics. The modern day country’s of Uzbekistan (joined in 1924) Turkmenia (now known as Turkmenistan, joined in 1924), Tajikistan (joined in 1929), Kazakhstan (joined in 1936), Kirghizia (now known as Kyrgyzstan, joined in 1936), Estonia (joined in 1940) , Lithuania (joined in 1940), Latvia (joined in 1940), and Moldavia (now known as Moldova, joined in 1940) all joined the Soviet Union. (Surhone, et al, 2010).

After mentioning the Bolsheviks, I think it is important to touch on their role in the development of the USSR and the result being the creation of the Treaty. The Bolsheviks were an organization founded and lead by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov in 1903 in Belgium. (Rabinowitch, 2007). This organization mainly consisted and operated under the principles that saw them fight for the proletariat. Lenin and his Bolshevik Party fought against the political ideology of “Economism”, which saw the working-class struggle for wages, working conditions and economically.

Returning to the discussion involving the Treaty, it is said that due to several internal political conflicts within the Bolshevik Party as well as within the governments Union, the Treaty was the direct result of trying to establish proper conditions. (Surhone, et al, 2010). The Russian Revolution of 1917 (also known as the Bolshevik Uprising and the October Revolution) saw a push for political power between current governments and the Bolshevik organization, led by Lenin and his Bolsheviks. At this time, the Russian Army began to approach neighbouring borders. The Red Army (Russian Army) needed a reason to traverse them. It is safe to say that the grouping and creation of an opportunistic government was necessary, hence the beginnings and slow creation of the Soviet Union as the Red Army usurped existing governments. (Surhone, et al, 2010). Enter Leon Trotsky, a man who suggested that this was the first of many steps for Russia to create a worldwide revolution. 

New Names and Faces

After the Red Army failed to capture Poland during a war known as the “Polish-Soviet War” which lasted two years, from 1919 to 1921, things began to change and new leaders began to emerge. Leon Trotsky saw a stop to his initial theory of worldwide revolution and in 1922, Lenin suffered a stroke and in came Joseph Stalin, who began as the General Secretary for the Communist Party. Stalin was adamant that the country adhere to legal groundwork that reestablished and reaffirmed supreme power to Moscow. (Lee, 1999). This legal groundwork led to what was referred to as “Socialism in One Country”. This theory was embraced by Soviets and therefore became the state policy for the Soviet Union. Stalin, and subsequently this theory, states that considering most communist revolutions in Europe had been successful, Russia remained strong and was not overcome by the revolution. At this point, Stalin wanted to build from the inside out, strengthening Russian government and politics and expanding outwards and eventually, having the proletariat accept and establish Communism as the nations political ideology, something Trotsky argued strongly against. (Lee, 1999).

Joseph Stalin Beginnings, Rise to Power and Death

Despite his prominence in Russian history and culture, Stalin was not born in Russia, he was instead born in a country that today is independent from Russia. Born in Georgia, more specifically in a town named Gori (at the time apart of Russia), in 1878, Stalin grew up speaking Georgian before any other language. He was Baptized and was Orthodox. His Father (Besarion Jughashvili) worked as a shoemaker and owned his own workshop while his mother (Ekaterine Geladze) was a seamstress. (Service, 2005). As Besarion’s career began to experience a decline which put the Stalin family is a state of poverty, Stalin’s father became an alcoholic and often beat both his wife and son during his drunken episodes. Stalin’s mother did all she could to protect Joseph and provide him a childhood that all kids deserve. She took Joseph and moved together in with a family friend, a Priest. After enrolling Joseph into a Church school, with encouragement from the Priest, she was informed that he was, academically, very intelligent. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy painting and poetry, among other things. However, Joseph experienced more hardships. At the age of 12, Joseph was struck by an oncoming phaeton, which is better known as a carriage pulled by on or two horses. (Service. 2005). At this point and for the rest of his life, Stalin faced issues and difficulty with his left arm. It should be mentioned that growing up, Stalin enjoyed school and consistently had higher-end grades. However, sadly, this would come to an end. As he got older, he grew up angry. It was said that he became rebellious in nature and this affected him academically. He also lost interest in poetry and renounced his religion.

After becoming interested in reading, he took a liking to pro-revolutionary books. Most notably, after reading several Karl Marx books, he embraced Marxism. (Service. 2005). In 1899, he officially left the school he was attending. It was not until first meeting Vladimir Lenin at a conference taking place in Finland in 1905 that he became infatuated with Lenin and his beliefs. (Service. 2005).

Following Lenin’s passing in 1924, Stalin took power and began implementing as he pleased. It should be said that Trotsky was the assumed successor of Lenin but Stalin forced him out of the picture. He did all he could, used all of his advantages and influence to have him pushed away from power. Trotsky fled the country and found himself in Mexico where, under Stalin orders, he was assassinated (Patenaude, 2009).

Under Stalin’s leadership, the country saw a significant increase in industrialization and a change in the economy, due to his creations and implementations as the head of state. His leadership began to spread fear and eventually lead to the nation being ruled by a Totalitarian government, which is the belief that those seen as oppositions to the current government or individuals who try to revolt against the current totalitarian government were arrested, attacked, persecuted or worse, killed. He quickly became power hungry and controlled all that the nation saw on television, read in newspapers and controlled virtually everything involving his nation, including the censoring of photographs. Paranoia and depression struck citizens and most importantly to Stalin, he imposed fear and unpredictability.

During his reign, Stalin himself was responsible for many horrifying and awful happenings. He was directly responsible for the devastating Holodomor, a famine caused by Stalin to exterminate Ukrainians. I paraphrase a quote from well known Historian Anne Applebaum, from her book Red Famine: “The Soviet Union’s disastrous decision to force peasants to give up their land and join collective farms, all ultimately the responsibility of Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party.”. If these wealthy peasants did not do as ordered and instructed, they were killed. Ukrainians are a proud, loving and strong ethnic group of people. They cannot be overrun nor can they be played with. They are smart and despite this awful event, the Ukrainians prevailed and flourished and although they currently face difficulty with neighbouring Russia, they are a nation unlike any other.

Although there is much to discuss between the Soviet Union and WWII, I want to focus solely on the reasoning that saw Stalin join the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany.

Fast forwarding to the beginnings of WWII, both Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact known as the “Molotov-Ribbentrop” or “Hitler-Stalin” Pact in the summer of 1939. (Rees, 2008). It is sometimes referred to as the “Molotov-Ribbentrop” as those were the two foreign affair ministers for the nations who signed, Molotov for Russia and Ribbentrop for Germany. It was not until 1941 that this pact was broken by Hitler himself as he invaded the Soviet Union, much to Stalin’s surprise. (Rees, 2008). This invasion is what saw Stalin side with the Allies (Poland, Britain, France, Canada, Greece, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, China, Belgium, Norway, Brazil, Australia, South Africa and Yugoslavia) rather than side with the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) (Alvarez, 1999). The Germans were revered and feared, however Mother Russia had something the Germans did not know too well; winter. Unprepared for this type of weather, the German invasion failed and Hitler was unable to fight Russia and the Allies. It is often forgotten how much devastation the Soviet Union faced, they suffered and the amount of lives lost during the War is saddening. To get the upper hand came at a cost and this cost was the lives of Soviet people. WWII and wars themselves are saddening and the sacrifice many make is immeasurable. The Soviet Union, having taken Germany down, began advancing into Germany, more specifically Berlin. With defenses severely weakened and eventual defeat on the horizon for the Germans, Hitler drank cyanide and shot himself, therefore committing suicide in his bunker before the Soviets could get to him. It is said he did this along his wife of less than 48 hours, Eva Braun. (O’donnell, 2001).

On March 1st 1953, staff members found Joseph Stalin semi-conscious on the floor of his residence, he had suffered from cerebral hemorrhage (Service, 2005). Four days later, on March 5th, after much care from his staff and children Svetlana and Vasily, he passed away. It is believed he died because of cerebral hemorrhage. The following day, his death was publicly announced and his body was placed on display in Moscow. It was said that with so many people coming to see his body on display, it created crowds and in these crowds, roughly 100 people died due to being trampled on. (Service, 2005). His death was acknowledged even by the Chinese government, where they had dedicated a time period to mourning his death. (Service, 2005). 

With no delegated successor and a government in need of re-framing, the “collective leadership” system was brought back into place, solely to avoid any one member of government attaining so much power. However, Nikita Khrushchev held most power at this point. He began to bring about change that saw Soviet Russia implement new socio-economic reforms. Focused more on the rebuilding of the nation and allowing more leniency toward the peasant population. (Taubman, 2003). Stalin’s death brought about much change in the Soviet Union; torture was banned in the same year of his death and economic reforms and policies were implemented, these are just some of the many changes (Taubman, 2003).

Soviet Union Landmass Coverage

Totaling 15 nations, across Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia, the Soviet Union has spanned several times zones and touched upon various cultures and religions. Upon conducting further research, it is said that the Soviet Union was the biggest country in the world at the time, covering a total of 22,402,200 square kilometers which is 8,649, 500 square miles (Dewdney, 1979). It’s total population was estimated at over 288 million people (Lydolph, 1990) with a concentrated portion living in the, geographically speaking, European side.

-Map 1-

Above is a map that I created to quickly provide a visual of how big the Russian Empire and therefore the Soviet Union came to be. I put surrounding countries from the Middle East (Iran and Iraq) as well as from South Asia (Afghanistan and Pakistan) as they border what was, back then, all of Russia. I wanted to provide a clear visual as to how far the country span, as well as trying to provide a modern day touch by illustrating countries that we know exist today.

Soviet Union Dissolution

It was in December of 1991 that the world experienced a great change in views and political ideologies. Shock, amazement, surprise and many other feelings went along with this reality that the Soviet Union, the Iron Curtain, had collapsed, had fallen and saw all Soviet Republics separate into the 15 nations we know today.

-Map 2-

The map directly above is a visual representation of the modern day and current fifteen nations that made up the Soviet Union. With unique languages, practices and cultures today, they do all share the Soviet Union history and some of these nations have done their best to erase that chapter while some have maintained it and kept statues, pictures and other artifacts in museums for viewing purposes.

The western world saw this collapse as a major point of success for them considering the political differences. This collapse was interpreted by the west as an achievement, a success, a victory. It was believed that freedom had finally gotten to the east and that democracy and capitalism will always triumph over any other political system and belief. The globe itself was shook and this brought about a major change in world views. It was a day that would be remembered in history, a day remembered forever. (Walker, 2003). 

This has me pose the question; Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Well, I will attempt to answer this by discussing three different influencing factors. 

We already know that the Soviet Union was built on the framework that all Soviet Republics would follow the centralized political ideology which we know as Communism. This allowed the leaders to have complete and utter control over the country and therefore, all Soviet Republics. We also know, this did not go as initially planned and issues started to arise. The first issue was the fact that all non-Russian ethnic states resisted assimilation and fought being “Russianized”. (Walker, 2003). The Economic program put in place failed to meet the standards and needs of the State itself, therefore seeing a decline and ultimately needing reform. Lastly and arguably the most important issue was the Communist ideology failing to root itself amongst the country’s population. (Walker, 2003).

It was the final leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, who brought about important and necessary changes to recover from a languish state. He is responsible for introducing the “Glasnost” policy which provided freedom of speech and openness. Along with Glasnost, he also invoked “Perestroika” which allowed for reconstructing or rebuilding. With this came criticism as the newly provided freedom of expression saw the citizens criticize Gorbachev for not improving the economy. However, it should be said that under Gorbachev’s leadership, the Soviet Union did not end in controversy or a bloody war. Gorbachev may have been criticized, but no attacks or wrongdoing occurred to him under his rule.

Nationalism began to spread quickly amongst Soviet Republics and the Soviet Union official granted independence to the respective republics. Declaration 142-H of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union allowed for this. (Walker, 2003). Shortly after, Gorbachev resigned and the office itself was no more. Power now went to Boris Yeltsin and he was the first President of the Russian Federation (Walker, 2003). It was said that the Soviet Flag was lowered from the Kremlin and the Russian Flag we know today replaced it. (Walker, 2003).

Russian Flag

 

Soviet Union Flag

 

Although these countries are now independent, some did remain close with Russia and created many organisations together that allowed for further collaboration. (Walker, 2003). It is important to note that although much negativity came from the Soviet Union, it was also an area for many scientific and technological advancements. It saw the first satellite and the exploration of space, having the first human in space – a man named Yuri Gagarin. (Feldman, 2003). It also important to mention that in 1963, the first female in space was from the Soviet Union, her name is Valentina Tereshkova. (Feldman, 2003). It also was responsible for the significant contributions and innovations in the field of nuclear weapons.

To discuss dates of independence for the 15 nations that made up the USSR, I will group them by geographic location and by geopolitical name.

With the Baltic States wanting to separate from the Soviet Union, Lithuania gained independence on March 11th, 1990. Estonia and Latvia followed, gaining independence August 20th, 1991 and August 21st, 1991 respectively. (Walker, 2003).

Ukraine gained independence August 24th, 1991 and Belarus followed suite, gaining independence on August 25th, 1991. Moldova gained independence days after Belarus, on August 27th, 1991. (Walker, 2003).

The Caucasus regions also gained independent freedom. Georgia gained independence on April 9th, 1991. Azerbaijan gained independence August 30th, 1991 and Armenia on September 21st, 1991. December 12, 1991 is the date Russia saw it’s independence.(Walker, 2003).

Uzbekistan gained independence on August 31st, 1991. Kyrgyzstan gained its independence on the same day as Uzbekistan, August 31st, 1991. Tajikistan gained independence on September 9th, 1991. Turkmenistan gained independence on October 27th, 1991. And the last country to secede from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan, got its independence on December 16th, 1991. (Walker, 2003). It should be noted that despite being the last country to break away from the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan was the first former Soviet Republic to repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000, seven years before it was due.

Conclusion

The Soviet Union, an empire that spanned many miles over several modern day countries, is a moment in history and geography that remains critical for all to learn from. The Soviet Union taught the world many important lessons. It taught us that one leader should not have that much power but at the same time, taught us that having several leaders could result in conflict. It taught us that if a political and economical system in place is not broken, do not fix it. Many reforms during the Soviet Union era caused a lot of issues and severely damaged it’s economy. It also taught the world that each country has their own religious and ethnic groups and that assimilation is not the answer. This lesson has been taught and learnt in many facets, not solely through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was its own downfall as it was not open to collaborating with other countries, therefore hindering its economy, among others aspects, and therefore rendering the country low on finances. Its eyes were on war and it became blinded by it, while citizens suffered. Their want for victory and want to be solidified as a powerful nation forced them to have tunnel vision and this was held above all, even above the health of their citizens.

With both good and bad emerging from the Soviet Union, it brought about 15 nations that result in a proud group of people, as they should be. All nations face difficulty and struggle, especially when corruption grabs a hold and roots itself in the country’s political system and leaders.

Work Cited

Alvarez, D. (Ed.). (1999). Allied and Axis Signals Intelligence in World War II. Portland, OR: Frank Cass.

Dewdney, John C. A Geography of the Soviet Union. 3rd ed., Pergamon Press, 1979.

Feldman, H. (2003). Yuri Gagarin: The First Man in Space. Powerkids Press.

Lee, S. J. (1999). Stalin and the Soviet Union. New York, NY: Routledge Publishing.

Lydolph, Paul E. Geography of the U.S.S.R. Misty Valley Publishing, 1990.

O’donnell, J. P. (2001). The Bunker. Da Cappo Press.

Patenaude, B. M. (2009). Stalin’s Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky. London, England: Faber and Faber.

Rabinowitch, A. (2007). The Bolsheviks in Power: The First Year of Soviet Rule in Petrograd. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Rees, L. (2008). World War II Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis, and the West. Ebury Publishing.

Service, R. (2005). Stalin: A Biography. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press

Surhone, L. M., Timpledon, M. T., & Marseken, S. F. (2010). Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. VDM Publishing.

Walker, E. W. (2003). Sovereingty and the Breakup of the Soviet Union. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Three 6 Mafia – Underground Kings

It’s going down, you know what time is! Seriously though, when discussions regarding the rap game take place, you will come across many individuals who favour a variety of rap; gangsta rap, mainstream rap, trap rap and so on. Three 6 Mafia has done a lot for both underground and mainstream rap artists throughout the years. Although it is overdue, it is time to discuss who Three 6 Mafia are, their beginnings and rise to stardom, as well as the influence they have had for other rappers and the rap game itself.

Backyard Posse – The Beginnings

In 1991, proudly representing Memphis, when the group got together and slowly started up, they went under the stage name of “Backyard Posse”. The members consisted of DJ Paul (Paul Beauregard), Juicy J (Jordan Houston) and Lord Infamous (Ricky Dunigan). Originally, the group worked with record company “Prophet Entertainment” which was very popular in the Memphis area at the time. The group decided to change and go under the name “Three 6 Mafia”, sometimes referred to as “Triple 6 Mafia”, as they started with three members (mentioned above) and ended up with six. Who were the new three members? They were Koopsta Knicca (Robert Cooper), Gangsta Boo (Lola Mitchell), and Crunchy Black (Darnell Carlton).

Unbeknownst to many, Three 6 Mafia consisted of some family members. DJ Paul and Lord Infamous are half-brothers, while Juicy J and Project Pat, although he was never officially a member but instead a frequent collaborator, are brothers. Most, if not all of Three 6 Mafia members attended the same high school, Northside High School in Memphis and began friendships and writing raps together.

Three 6 Mafia Influence and Style

Although many have come and gone from Three 6 Mafia, the group has influenced many rappers, ranging from Indo G, Gangsta Blac and The Kaze, to more popular artists such as A$ap Rocky. They were widely known for bringing a dark beat with violent and aggressive lyrics to the rap game. Many have described their music as “dark and eerie, supported with a bass-heavy beat and haunting sounds”.

Three 6 Mafia’s style has been widely seen and interpreted as horrocore and crunk rap, also combined with themes regarding the occult as well as dark lyrics. They are responsible for coining the term and genre of “crunk rap”. They are also synonymous with “Dirty South Rap”. Having an absolute raw style of rapping, Three 6 Mafia gained a lot of attention and slowly, they began to get mainstream attention, however they did prefer to remain underground. Although they have had many successful releases, their first radio-played song was “Da Summa” which spoke about the greatness of summer and how Three 6 Mafia spent their summers in Memphis. Even Lord Infamous, who is well known for his many vulgar and “murderesque” lyrics, kept it cool and kept his verse clean, aside from a slight reference to him carrying dangerous weapons. The song got air time and many began to really look into Three 6 Mafia and their discography. The group is also well known for their song “Stay Fly”, which came out in 2005. Followed by many, another mainstream song by Three 6 Mafia is “Feel It” which featured DJ Tiesto, Sean Kingston and Flo Rida and was released in 2009.

It is important to note that Project Pat, La Chat and Lil Wyte were among the most frequent collaborators of Three 6 Mafia, but were never officially apart of the group. I find this key to mention because they also brought their own flow to the table and it gelled well with Three 6 Mafia, but it is clear that they were not dark lyricists, but instead smart integrations, although Lil Wyte did have some horrorcore references occasionally, but very infrequently.

On a more individualistic level, I would like to quickly discuss each rappers flow and style, and how they, combined, brought greatness to their fans.

Beginning with DJ Paul, he initially focused more on producing beats and DJ-ing, while his older half brother Lord Infamous rapped on the tracks. Many of his lyrics are hardcore and hostile, but also he is seen as less of a “verbally-savage” rapper of the group.

Juicy J, arguably the most popular at the moment, was also relatively aggressive in his early days with Three 6 Mafia, when he needed to be. His verse in hits such as “Tear Da Club Up” and “Let’s Plan A Robbery” were threatening, but nothing over-the-top dark and scary, if you will. He does rap about drug use in songs such as “My Own Way” and “Demons” which Tech N9ne featured Juicy J and DJ Paul on. His approach varied depending on the song message, but he was consist in his flow and delivery.

Lord Infamous, the darkest, most hostile, threatening, unpredictable and loose rapper in the group.  The only thing you could predict about Lord Infamous, was that he was going to make his presence felt. Making many references to the devil, weapon and drug use, murder and torture, he quickly established himself as someone who should not be taken lightly. His lyrics gave those listening a sense of fear and some distraught, while many had to step away from his music for a little. He often portrayed himself as someone who will not stop and will continue to show no mercy. He has been given title of “King of Horrorcore” which I would agree with. His flow, delivery and lyrics are jaw dropping, mind-blowing and eye opening. Lord Infamous also went by the nickname “Scarecrow” and made reference to this in various songs. In my opinion, nobody can match his rap style and he remains, the most underrated rapper of all time and he does remain “King of Horrorcore”.

Koopsta Knicca, a perfect follow up to Lord Infamous, considering Koopsta was very raw and released many demonic driven verses himself, also touching on horror and murder in his lyrics. I find he was not talked about as much as he should have been – as his dark style approach was maybe not as hardcore as others, but still proven to be intense. I thoroughly enjoy his verses on tracks and find his somewhat unclear, mumble and hard lyrics to be a great fit with the group. It was evident that he appreciated the group and loved to be aggressive and hard on his tracks.

As if the group had not already distinguished themselves as being unique, hard and strong, they made a very smart move by adding Gangsta Boo to the group. Not only was having a female touch appropriate, but having Gangsta Boo’s touch was unlike any other. She herself had no problem being surrounded by all these hardcore male rappers and became a crucial part of the group. She also had no problem rapping about dark subjects as she once referred to herself as the “devil’s daughter”. She was so gangsta, and a really underrated rapper in general, female or not.

Crunchy Black, initially known as a Hype-Man, became comfortable to have relatively short verses but raw lyrics while apart of Three 6 Mafia. This fit in perfectly and fans came to know him as the rapper who will have a quick, solid delivery while also establishing himself as hardcore. He is also infamous for his “g-walking”, which he did admit not being the originator of and never took credit. He can be seen in various music videos doing this dance.

Despite all their satanic references, dark, threatening, and barbaric lyrics, the group did mention they believe in God and are Christian. They are also all capable of rapping without mentioning any horrorcore topics, which is evidenced by various hits such as “Poppin’ My Collar”, “Baby Momma” and “That’s Right”, which featured Akon.

Also worth mentioning, DJ Paul and Juicy J created a record label under Sony Entertainment referred to as “Hypnotize Minds” in 1994 that eventually had many other rappers signing to it.

Academy Award Winners

2006, a memorable year for the horrorcore group as they won an Academy Award for their theme song to in the movie “Hustle & Flow”. They were also the first ever rap ground to perform at the ceremony. Many were quick to judge and dislike the fact that they had won, however, it was also said that many were very pleased for the group considering Three 6 Mafia could barely contain their excitement upon receiving the award. This award also brought notice and attention to underground rap and gave hope to other artists.

Album Releases

Mystic Stylez, the first album ever released by the group was released in 1995. This album consisted of early favourites such as “Break Da Law 95”, “Da Summa” and “Live By Yo Rep”. The song “Live By Yo Rep” was actually a diss track towards “Bone Thugs and Harmony”, a rap group from Cleveland that Three 6 Mafia believe stole their style and flow of rap. It was later revealed by Three 6 Mafia that there really was no need for any issues and that the whole “beef” was a misunderstanding and overblown situation. The two groups have no problems with each other and some have gone as far as to even collaborate together.

Following Mystic Stylez, in 1996 Three 6 Mafia released “Chapter 1: The End” and in 1997 released “Chapter 2: World Domination”. This album saw the massive rise of “club banging” music when the song “Tear Da Club Up” was played in night clubs all throughout the USA. 1999 saw the release on CrazyNDaLazDayz, which was the only studio album released by Tear Da Club Up Thugs, a side project undertaken by Three 6 Mafia at the time.  From there, “When The Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1” was released in 2000, followed by “Da Unbreakables” in 2003. The year 2005 saw even more success for Three 6 Mafia with the release of their album “Most Known Unknown”. The album had well-known songs such as the mentioned “Stay Fly”, “Poppin’ My Collar”, and “Side 2 Side”. This brought even more attention to the group and increased their mainstream music on radio’s and at night clubs. In 2008, the “Last 2 Walk” album was released and that was also a success. This features such songs as “That’s Right” which featured Akon, and “My Own Way” which featured Good Charlotte. An interesting collaboration considering it was between a hardcore and dark rap group and a rock band. However, this proved to be successful and Three 6 Mafia continued to change and influence the rap game. Their last official album release came in 2015, when they became Da Mafia 6ix, and the album was called “Watch What U Wish…”.  Not having as much success as previous releases, it featured various songs and reminded other artists and fans that Three 6 Mafia is still in the game.

Three 6 Mafia Separation

Sadly, Three 6 Mafia experienced the same fate as many other famous groups – they began to slowly separate.

Beginning with Crunchy Black in 2006, it was released to the public that he was leaving Three 6 Mafia. Apparently, he was leaving to make a solo album – an album that both Juicy J and DJ Paul had put off for years, in his mind. It seems Crunchy had paved the way as shortly after his departure, Gangsta Boo, Koopsta Knicca and Lord Infamous went on hiatus and the group consisted of only Juicy J and DJ Paul.

Juicy J found much success and began to become more mainstream as a solo artist. He did join Wiz Khalifa’s “Taylor Gang” and remains a frequent collaborator. In various songs, he does mention his love and appreciation for Three 6 Mafia though, which I can appreciate – never forget where your from and how you came up. Juicy J, having collaborated with more mainstream artists such as Wiz Khalifa and Katy Perry, brought attention to not only himself but in turn, Three 6 Mafia. Many were unaware of who he was and his rise to stardom. Having heard more and more of him as a solo artist, many began to research him and his back story, finding out that Three 6 Mafia was indeed his beginnings.

DJ Paul has found success as well, but remains more on the DJ side of things and also remains underground. Although it remains a rumour, it is said that he and Post Malone are collaborating. Considering Post Malone seems to be a hot topic, he, in my opinion, is making the right choice getting to work with DJ Paul – he will bring in more fans and informs his fans in turn that he knows where the game was enhanced from.

Da Mafia 6ix

In 2013, many Three 6 Mafia fans got their wish, hearing that the group was getting back together and getting back in the studio. However, the group did announce that Juicy J would not be with them and with him not being apart of it, they decided to alter their name from Three 6 Mafia to Da Mafia 6ix. DJ Paul spoke about this and mentioned that they cannot call themselves Three 6 Mafia if Juicy J is not apart of it. Da Mafia 6ix consisted of DJ Paul, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca, Lord Infamous and Gangsta Boo. Having all of these rappers back together, many were excited to see what they planned on releasing.

Having released their first mix tape called the “6ix Commandments”, this mix tape featured highly-successful featured hits such as “Go Hard” which featured Yelawolf, “Been Had Hard”, “Break Da Law” and “Remember” which featured Memphis rapper and frequent collaborator Lil Wyte as well as 2 Chainz, in the chorus only.

Unfortunately, the group suffered major blows. In 2013, Lord Infamous suffered a heart attack and passed away while at his mother’s home. The year 2014 saw Gangsta Boo leave the group and this prompted DJ Paul to inform the public and media that they got together and did their thing, but it was a gut-feeling that separated them once more, nobody was mad or forced out, these were mutual decisions – according to him. More pain and heartache followed unfortunately, as Koopsta Knicca passed away in 2015 of a brain aneurysm.

Conclusion

They may have gone under many nicknames, call them what you like, but Three 6 Mafia will continue to live on in the rap game and continue to have a strong influence on all genres and other rappers. Their flow, lyrics and approach to the game was unlike any other and they reached the top together as a unit.

Three 6 Mafia remains an example of what dedication, hard work, sacrifice and support can do for you. They created something out of nothing and made themselves known world-wide. It is unfortunate that they are not necessarily all together but it is encouraging that they do continue to produce beats, music and remain in the music industry. Each rapper brought something unique to the table and they executed this properly both in their delivery in songs and in media portrayal.

May those who have passed rest in piece and I appreciate you all sticking through this posting. I may have not covered every single intricate detail regarding both the rappers individually or the group themselves, but I did want to post about a group that many may have forgotten about or may have been quick to overlook initially.

Three 6 Mafia, Hypnotize Minds, its going down, you know what time is!

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Finland’s Vexillology

Finland, nicknamed “Land of a Thousand Lakes”, is a Nordic country situated in Northern Europe bordering Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to the east, is a country that is well known for it’s cold temperatures and producing some of the best hockey players, among many others aspects. Although the country has done much good for both themselves and the world, this post will not reflect on all the greatness the country has done, nor will it reflect on it’s day-to-day lifestyle, but instead, this post will focus on the representation, symbolism and meaning of its flag.

To begin, let’s identify what we already know; the colours of the flag – Blue and White. You may ask, how did the country come to selecting these colours? Well, allow me to answer that. Finland, perhaps unbeknownst to many, has an abundance of lakes. It is said to have well over 180,000! That being said, one can now understand the Blue on the flag, it is said to represent the lakes and waterways of the country, but also to represent the sky. The white, as you may have already known, is said to represent the snow the country constantly experiences due to relatively harsh winters.

There are no glaciers in Finland today, which may seem strange considering it’s geographical location, being within the Arctic Circle. However, there have been glaciers in the past. That being said, the current landscape and geography provides evidence that the glaciations effects are lasting. Glaciers have a powerful influence on the landscape and influences land formation of other geological features, such as craters. Craters, which are a relatively large, circular shaped holes in the ground, form by having an ice sheet move across the Earth’s surface or by a volcanic explosion. Combining this with mentioned effects of glaciation in the country, this is a major cause for why Finland has many lakes today. Melted glacier water, coming from the glacier receding, filled up these craters and created what exists today as lakes in the area. What was once a land dominated area became an area filled with water due to the impact of glaciers.

With a climate classified as “subarctic”, Finland experiences long, cold winters and short and mild summers. Regarding the white on the flag which we established refers to snow, it is clear as to why this is so symbolic to the Finnish people and the country as a whole.

Combining both the geological features and history as well as the influence of geography and temperature in the country, it becomes crystal clear as to why Blue and White were the selected colours for their national flag.

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The Fear of Disappointment

Introduction

Do you ever feel weak? Feel so much sadness and anger that all you can do is just stop and stare at nothing? Are you frozen in the moment, while an emotional battle occurring inside your mind and body rages on and captures your entire being? Do you find yourself not living up to expectations and therefore struggling with finding self-confidence? Well, this is the feeling of disappointment. How can disappointment be defined? Well, one way is “not being able to accomplish a certain goal and not fulfilling expectations”.

Although disappointment in life can happen in many different instances, this post will focus on disappointment in a sporting context and the resulting outcome that some athletes feel. Many individuals struggle with feeling this way in life and I would like to speak about it in a “less serious” context. This post will speak briefly of moments in sports where athletes felt disappointed and will also briefly touch upon my personal experiences in this position, for writing and discussion purposes.

Rise to the Challenge or Crack under Pressure?

Think of these scenarios; You’re down by one in the fourth quarter of your Basketball game, your team has possession and the ball is passed around and ends up in your hands with less than five second on the clock. You only have time for one shot and not a drive, you take the shot. What follows? Perhaps it’s the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, a man on third base and your team is down by one run, you are at the plate. The count is full, three balls and two strikes. What is going through your mind? Are you calm, cool, composed? Or are you so nervous that you feel the pressure eating away at you in this potential “clutch” moment when you need a hit? Imagine being on a breakaway in hockey and having the chance to secure the victory in overtime – you shoot, what happens? What about if you are the last player on the Dodgeball court and your team needs you to win this game so you can take home the Championship? You are facing a tough opponent and you have the opportunity to take a throw or attempt at making a catch, what do you do?

Unfortunately for some athletes in sports, some will find success and flourish in these moments, while others will fail and not come through for their team when they need it the most. They will miss the buzzer-beater shot, they will strike out to end the game,  shoot wide on the breakaway, allowing the other team to go the other way and score, and yes, be unable to get any opponent out and will fail at catching the ball, giving the opponent the win and the Championship. The emotions felt by individuals in this moment continue to surge through their body. So much sadness, perhaps anger and, you guessed it, disappointment. Many dwell on it, continuously think of these events and instances where they had the chance to do good and make a clutch play but instead, crack under pressure. Seeing the opponent celebrate and smile, proud of themselves, as they should be. Yet, one player is hurting so bad.

Why?

The famous question that seems to be prevalent throughout most of my postings, “why”? Why is it that some can never come through when their team needs it the most? When they are put in a position to keep the game alive, to keep their season alive, and they fall and never manage to pull through. The feeling of discouragement, disappointment, sadness, and a lack of motivation are what runs through their mind. Is this fear the reason why this occurs? Is it even a fear or simply a thought that begins to overpower you?

Connection to Sport

Over time, as an athlete, you develop a reputation in the sports world. Some athletes have the reputation of being highly-skilled with so much potential to really become something big, but perhaps never could deliver nor attain the desired result. This, over time, leads to athletes being labeled as “overrated”. Overrated, essentially, is recognizing an athlete as having a higher opinion and image than is really deserved.

An example of this is former NHL’er Alexander Daigle. Drafted first overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, the Senators were beyond excited when this opportunity came their way. He was the next “Superstar” and every NHL team did what they could to have a chance at getting him. The Senators were even under fire for deliberately losing games to have a better chance at receiving the first overall pick that year. It seemed though, over time, that Alexander Daigle was just not what he was cut out to be. After it was all said and done, Daigle never cracked more than 51 points (done in three separate seasons) in any of his 11 NHL season. He retired from the NHL with 327 points in 616 games. Yes, that is very good however in the hockey world, if you have this much hype surrounding you, you need to be a point-per-game player at the very least. I am sure Daigle played his heart out and did what he could, but things just didn’t fall into place.

This next athlete may have been a disappointment later on in his MLB career, however the moment I will choose to discuss is a potential clutch moment he was put in during the Washington Nationals 2012 Playoff run. Drafted 10th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, Drew Storen was selected by the Nationals who needed a strong and reliable relief pitcher.

Having finished the season with a 98-64 record during the 2012 MLB Season, the Washington Nationals were a force to be reckoned with and not a team you wanted to face, especially so early in the playoffs. The St. Louis Cardinals were that team that had to take them on in the first round. The Cardinals finished that season with an 88-74 record, which is not to be overlooked.

As you may be aware, the first round in MLB playoffs is a best-of-five series and is known as the division series. Having gotten into the game with a 7-5 lead and having shown great consistency all season long, and even doing well in the previous two playoff games, Drew Storen was brought in to close out the game and with a win, move on to the next round. However sadly, things did not go as planned. Storen needed three outs and the first batter he faced, got a leadoff double. He had no problems with the following two batters and now only needed one more out. Already with two strikes, Storen was looking to get one more in there to strike out Yadier Molina and finish the game. Instead, he was walked. David Freese was in the same position, had two strikes but was walked. A two-run single was then hit by Daniel Descalso, and that tied the game up. Storen was kept in the game and Pete Kozma made him pay. A two-run single by Kozma made it 9-7 for the Cardinals and that was the final score. The Cardinals ended up eliminating the Nationals and sadly, the first place seed suffered an early exit.

Now, this is the biggest league in the world for Baseball. The fans, the teammates, managers and almost what feels like the whole world is on your shoulders. The pressure can be too much and it was said that after that night, Storen had unbearable and agonizing mental pain. He was however, supported by his teammates. Following that, Storen was traded to the Blue Jays, Mariners and Reds, but never really got back to himself. These moments really stick with athletes and affect them.

The last athlete I will choose to discuss is Lias Andersson. Having been selected by the New York Rangers seventh overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Lias attracted a lot of attention mainly at the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) World Junior Championships 2018. Playing for Sweden and having been selected as Captain of the group, Sweden was undefeated during preliminaries and made it all the way to the Gold Medal Game. Sweden, for the past eleven years, has gone 44-0 in preliminary play and are always discussed as favourites (as well as Canada) in the tournament. Hoping the 2018 year would bring change for them and allow them to win Gold, was all the Swedes wanted.

However, Canada had different ideas. After an incredibly well played game by both teams, Canada came out victorious and won Gold, defeating Sweden 3-1, as the third goal was an empty-netter. Looking at the Swedish players, their face and body language told those looking that their hearts were broken and their emotions took over. Sadness, anger, disappointment and devastation hit all of the Swedish players. It seemed that none hurt more than Captain Andersson as he, upon receiving his Silver Medal, decided to throw it over the glass to a Swedish jersey wearing fan. Andersson allowed his emotions to take over, his sadness and anger combined into silence. He did not want to talk, nor did he want to remain on the ice. Andersson and the Swedes felt embarrassed and were defeated. Many condemned Andersson’s actions, while others sympathized and completely understood his actions.

Many handle losing differently. How I feel at times, is exactly like Daigle, Storen and Andersson – as a disappointment to those who put their trust in me and their confidence, for me to win, when instead I lose.  However, how one responds is what really speaks volumes. It reveals their true colours and just how much they respect the sport and the athletes involved. Sportsmanship is so important that sometimes, people forget what it really means.

Mental Game

I have heard many teammates, friends, family members and opponents tell me, when I am presented with this moment, that I am too hard on myself. That I should allow myself to breathe and accept the mistakes I have made and get over them, that is how we learn in the end. Many different types of athletes, if not all, have experienced a disappointment or a shock of some kind. Sports is not just a game, it is indeed a lifestyle to some. You may use your body and mind for the game but when the game is done, depending who you are, it stays in the mind. It really is a mental game. The late Yogi Berra said it best “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical”. A strange quote yes, but the fact that it is acknowledged by a Baseball great that the game is mental, says a lot. This does not apply to just Baseball but all sports, in my opinion. Being head strong is very important and key in sports.

Speaking of head strong, how would you feel crossing and interacting with the opponents who just beat you? Can you stay strong enough and show them that all is well with you? Can you smile and give them the credit they deserve? Will it change your view of them when really all they did was what they wanted, in defeating your team? Pride comes into play and I believe athletes sometimes struggle in this situation but in the end, need to rise above it.

Support

Perhaps you are thinking that athletes fight this battle alone. Although I may be alone when I reflect on these devastating moments, I do have a lot of support from teammates, friends, family and that special someone.

It has been said that professional athletes request meetings with sports psychologists and other similar professionals to help them get over these tough moments. Coaches and players need to be there for each other, in moments of great defeat. After all, that is a key component of what a team is.

Conclusion

After all is said and done, in sports, there is always a winner and a loser, whether it is as a team or as an individual. The feeling of losing and disappointment are so closely related and athletes try to avoid that gut-wrenching feeling. To all of you who have felt this horrible feeling and have not been able to overcome it, and hold it deep inside you, keep your head up high. Those who have experienced this feeling do indeed realize that it is a hindrance. Holding all this negativity and replaying it in your mind is not helpful. Others have the ability to move on instantly while others dwell on it for their whole lives. Despite all of the mentioned feelings, we seem to ignore the regret we feel. It’s tough, we feel so horrible and regret it, yet at times, it cannot be controlled. Emotions are one of the strongest things in life and they are what keep individuals motivated. Memories are also very strong and they could go either way depending on the individual; it can motivate them to continue and improve, or it can push them away due to fear of being disappointed again.

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The Human Conundrum

Introduction

The mind is a very powerful tool and element that we as humans sometimes take for granted. A rough definition of the mind can be as follows; “An individuals ability to enable their awareness about the world, their surrounding and experiences, while also allowing them to think and feel, combined with the state of thought”. With that being said, we can now further analyze what this post is to focus on – why do we as humans  deteriorate ourselves and each other? With so many different avenues for us to take, why do we have a knack for selecting the “wrong” or “bad” one? There are so many different categories to focus on, I will do what I can to touch on several different ones and try and paint a picture for you, the reader. After all, it is the least I can do considering the time you take to read this post, which means a lot to me in itself. I want to clarify that none of what I discuss is something I look down on or anything along those lines, I simply want to have an understanding of why it is that individuals do these things. I have a tendency to jump around and unfortunately, this will be no different – I apologize in advance.

Emotions

Why do people do and say the things they do? Why do we live the way we live? Why do we feel the way we feel and why do we let emotions take over our entire being and state of mind? The mind, with all it’s power, can bring about much happiness and in a second, that happiness can disappear and turn quickly into sadness or anger. Are we not strong enough to avoid this? Or are we too weak to fight it? Well, one thing is for sure, every single person is different and handles both positive and negative events differently. Speaking for negatives, some will remain calm and will process what has happened and use their mind to solve it and make things better, while others? Well, they could instantly snap and release a ton of fury and rage, something that almost always seems to be followed by regret. Or maybe you are the type of person who will hold it all in. Maybe for days, for weeks, for months or worse, maybe even years. All this pent up rage, anger and bottled up emotion can really bring an individual down and those around him/her. This is just one of the MANY methods that humans deteriorate, whether themselves or each other. Perhaps you find yourself possessing all three different methods of handling negative events. Perhaps you unleash a serious fury and rage but also bottle up all your emotions, which does twice the damage.

Emotions are said to be a “natural feeling drawn for certain circumstances”. That word, “natural”. Are these emotions natural? What does it say if someone feels anger in one situation while another feels happiness during the same situation? Does it say that one person is just an angry person and one is just a happier one? Do we get mad because things do not go OUR way and therefore our coping mechanism is being angry? If so, in the moment, you are unknowingly hurting your self, your body and your mind. We all have moments of good and bad. Are we a product of our environment? What makes us who we are? Why do we act the way we act and say the things we do?

Emotions are very sporadic and as the years continue to pass, it appears society has remedies and solutions for almost everything. Oh, you get angry often? No problem, we can provide you treatment. Don’t like the way you look? Well we have a solution for that. Yes, everybody is different and they make their decisions for their own reasons, which I respect, but I ask you; do you ever stop and really think things through? Things about your past, present and future? As much as I try, I cannot escape thought. As Kid Cudi once said, “My mind runs I could never catch it even if I got a head start”. Wow, how true that really is. It has been said several times that the worst thing for humans to do is to think too much. Overthinking, overanalyzing and creating situations out of nothing – letting your mind run wild. Well, I can easily say this happens to all of us, which brings me back to a question I had; are we still too weak to fight this? Are we our own worst enemies?

It is true, we learn something about each other every single day. I believe we also, subconsciously, choose what we want to learn.

Addiction (Alcohol and Smoking)

Alcohol

Addiction, what a powerful word. How much out there can we be addicted to? This raises other questions, are all addictions bad? What is classified as bad? Addictions can range from a variety of things, for example being addicted to winning, both in a sporting context and/or winning used as a term for being more successful in life, to more serious addictions such as alcohol addiction. Sticking with the theme of deterioration, let’s discuss alcohol addiction, although there are many other types of addictions that deteriorate individuals. How does any addiction begin? Today’s society paints a picture, any time there is a group outing, you must drink alcohol. Without it, the outing is not as complete or as fun. If you do not drink, then you give the impression that you are bringing down the great vibe that alcohol provides.

If someone does not drink alcohol, does that make them less of a friend? Less of a person? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I am trying to understand – why is it so important for individuals to drink? Why the unnecessary pressure? Can we not all just get along with or without it? When individuals were younger, they got along just fine without it and if they did not get along, then they just were not friends. It is true that as we get older, life changes and we begin to feel more of “life’s pressures” and alcohol allows individuals to loosen up a bit. You begin to think we are getting smarter as a society, as a group. We hear all the horror stories of what alcohol does to not only the human mind and body, but also what it makes humans do. It makes them say bad things, makes them act poorly and most importantly, makes them make bad decisions. Still, drinking and driving is alive and well. I also understand that everybody leads a different life and had a different upbringing. Everybody has struggles and I want to clarify this posting is for an understanding and trying to answer the question of “why”? I have no problem with alcohol, I simply want to understand it and it’s role within society.

How many non-drinkers are out there? A lot less than drinkers? Finding someone who does not drink can seem next to impossible nowadays. Many will say “we will die one day, why not speed up the process?”. Painful to hear, yes life is tough but you are put here for a reason. Whether you choose to pursue that reason is up to your powerful mind to decide.

Smoking

“Smoking eases the pain” – a quote I have heard many times. While it may do that, it creates so much more and causes so much damage to your body, those around you and the environment. Until we are personally threatened or impacted, our eyes and mind will remain closed and we will stay naïve and blind. The negatives don’t stop, we are all to familiar with the high risk of cancer. There are many reasons why certain individuals begin smoking and I respect these reasons. However, it is painful to witness people smoke and perhaps create a somewhat unfriendly environment. Please, stop deteriorating your body and mind, as well as others.

Conclusion

I hope you readers understand, this is not meant to offend anyone nor was it meant to be judgmental. I really want to understand the question – why? Perhaps it is I who is behind as most of society does seem to be indulging in activities that I do not. Looking back at oneself, as a child, and now, as an adult – do you feel anything? I feel great sadness as I realize change is inevitable and uncontrollable at times.

These actions can be avoided, they really can. Please, I ask you do not judge those who do not participate in mainstream society but rather treat them equally and see what they see – different perspectives. It is quick to discount and ignore someone, solely because they do not participate in mainstream activities.

There are many experts out there who can perhaps assist me in understanding society and human and the connection in between the two. Many studies have been done and many have thoroughly analyzed how society as a whole has changed.

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Dodgeball – More than a Sport

Introduction

Dodgeball, a sport many individuals have played growing up, whether in school during gym class, outside during recess, or even outside of school in a recreational or competitive league. Growing up and even until this very day, Dodgeball is an absolute passion of mine, almost a lifestyle. Everything down from playing, to rules, to statistics, even to refereeing it – I do my best to be stay active in this sport everyday. Without further ado, let us explore this and analyze what it has to offer.

Just before we begin exploring, I do want to say that there are many variations of the sport and the way I explain it is what I believe to be the most popular and quite frankly, the most fun. I will speak of other ways of playing but it will be clear as to which method I focus on.

Rules and Objectives – CoEd Recreational vs CoEd Competitive

As mentioned, Dodgeball has various rules to it. Some variations allow players to travel all around the court while I will focus on the most efficient and popular way of playing it. There are also some similarities in rules between recreational and competitive, however I deem it clear which ones differ and which ones are found in both.

           CoEd Recreational

With a maximum of six players playing at once, the objective is simple; eliminate all opposing six players by hitting them with the ball or catching one of their throws. Now, considering this section includes both male and female, otherwise known as Co-Ed Dodgeball, then of the six players on the court, a minimum of two need to be female. With six aside, some methods of play have the players run (once the referee blows the whistle) to collect the balls that are lined up at the center line, while other ways have each team begin with two balls aside. Playing with four total, eight inch balls, players ideally communicate and make sure they either target a certain individual or they just go ahead and throw at random. If a player catches a throw, then the player who threw that ball is out and subsequently first to return if that player is the first of the 6 on the court out, while the player who caught it brings back one of his teammates that were already eliminated, if any were sidelined. Once a player picks up a ball or catches one, they have a maximum of 10 seconds to hold it. During this 10 seconds, they can use the ball they are holding for protection (deflecting a ball coming at them) or they can try to quickly strategize with their teammates. If a player throws the ball and it is deflected off the opponent’s ball because he/she is blocking, and that ball continues to travel and hits someone before it touches the ground, ceiling or wall, then that player IS out. However, if the same situation occurred but instead of being hit, the ball was caught; that means the thrower is out and that catch brings in a teammate – if one was already eliminated.

Another way of being eliminated is a rule that as a Dodgeball Referee I dislike calling but I have to do so; stepping on the line while throwing. Although this rule is very important and must be enforced, it is also a rather silly way of being eliminated. I respect this rule and every Dodgeball player should. It keeps the individuals at a distance and confirms nobody can step on or over the line, however you are allowed to reach over the line to try and grab a ball.

The controversial “head-shot” rule really depends on how and who you play. If a player throws the ball and an opposing player gets hit in the face then usually the player who threw it is out, however there are times where it may be called simply a “dead-ball” which means nobody is out and the game continues, depending on the severity and other circumstances. If a player is ducking however, and gets hit in the face, that player who is ducking is out as he/she put himself in that position. Whether a player is ducking, jumping or even dodging in some other way, and is hit in the face, he/she will be called out. The only way around it is if it is a blindside head shot, a player not seeing the ball or the ball coming way too fast for someone to react.

If two players remain, one on each team, a 60 second countdown begins. After this countdown, if neither of the two players are eliminated, the first players who were eliminated from that round are allowed to come back on. This is done to add intensity to the game and to also speed it up, if you will.

Although it is recreational, the games get very intense and very close and the intensity alone is enough to make you feel like you are in a competitive atmosphere. Dodgeball alone is very competitive and continues to increase in popularity.

          CoEd Competitive

Like Recreational Dodgeball, six players (minimum two girls) need to be on the court per team while playing Competitive Dodgeball. Instead of four, eight inch balls, six – seven inch balls are used, three placed beside each other on the opposite corners of the center line. Teams need to run and collect three, hence why they are on opposite sides – three are for one team to collect and the other three are for the other team to collect. Now, strategy and ball control is so important while playing Competitive Dodgeball. With six balls in the picture, can you imagine what it would be like if six players on the opposing team decided to target and throw at you? It would be hard to dodge and catch, however this is why players decide to play competitive, to test and possibly enhance their pre-existing skills against other highly skilled Dodgeball players. There is no limit on how long players can hold a ball for however if one team has four balls and the other has two, the “advantage” rule comes into play. This means, the team with four balls must throw at least one ball before the referee finishes his countdown. A minimum of one ball can be thrown while players holding the other three are allowed to continue to do so. Many different players have many different tactics in this scenario. For example, if one ball is being thrown, players on that throwers team will often fake throw and pretend to throw at someone to throw them off a bit – sounds basic but it really is a good tactic, especially for those who are so good at it.

Remember how in Recreational if you were the first eliminated you are the first back in if your teammate made a catch? Well in competitive (depending on the league), there could be no order of return. If your teams strongest player was out third, but someone on your team made a catch, he/she is eligible to be the first person to come back, a pick and choose kind of thing. Most competitive leagues however follow the “first out, first in” rule. Also, remember how once one player on each team remains, the 60 second countdown begins? Well, in competitive, there is a “no blocking” rule. This means that as soon as one player on each team remains, the referee blows the whistle and gives the players three balls each. From there, after both players confirm they are ready, the referee blows the whistle and now no blocking kicks in. No blocking means that if a throw is coming towards you, you are not allowed to use your ball to deflect it or block it. If you do block it, it will count as an out. Everything remains the same except this rule is implemented only on a one on one contest.

Communication is very key as well, hence my earlier mention of strategy. The “fake-throw” is a great method of distraction but aside from that, there are many others. To mention a few;

1. Target Selection: Making sure that players who are holding a ball on your team aim for the same opposing player, therefore giving you a greater chance and higher percentage of eliminating that selected opponent.

2. No Look Throw: Looking one way but throwing the other. For example; looking left but throwing the ball to players on the right side – a great play to deceive and keep opponents on their toes.

3. Fake and Throw: Close to the center line with another one of your teammates, both of you are holding a ball. You talk and confirm that when you are going to throw the ball, only one will actually throw it while the other will fake it – confusing the target and also providing the thrower with protection as a teammate is right beside you holding a ball. Although, this can occasionally back fire as if the opponent throws a ball, considering the proximity between you and your teammate, it can result in both of you being eliminated if it hits you both. This is referred to as a “counter” by the opposing team.

The above strategies can be used in both Recreational and Competitive, however they are utilized more in Competitive as there is no 10 second time limit with the ball for every player, as there is in Recreational.

Types of Players and Positions

Many different types of people play the game itself. This can range from players who have never played a sport before to players who excel at other sports, giving them an advantage. It also includes players who excel at one aspect of the game but struggle on others. For example, one player can be a really strong thrower but a weak catcher and dodger. Aside from throwing, catching and dodging, there are also three main positions. These positions consist of Corner, Center and Sweeper. These all will be positions which I will elaborate on.

Below is a quick breakdown of what to expect from those (mentioned above) players. I believe all of these aspects are specialities and provide much to any team.

          Throwers

Exactly what it sounds like, throwers are the players who have the arm to deliver a powerful throw. With many different types of throwers as everybody throws differently for a variety of reasons, below are a quick list of popular methods of throwing.

1. Overhand: Overhand throwers are those who release the ball when their hand is over their shoulder. This results in a very strong (if executed properly) straight and direct  throw – little movement to them.

2. Side-Arm: Just like in Baseball, side-arm is when players release the ball for a throw when their arm is parallel to the ground. This has been brought into question as it is said that continuously throwing like this will eventually damage your arm as the ligaments will tear and possibly bring on tendinitis. Those crafty side-arm throwers tend to have a curve to their throw, making it much harder to judge, dodge and catch.

3. 3/4 Throwers: A somewhat unknown method of throwing, 3/4 is sometimes considered side-arm, at least a sub-category of it. 3/4 throwing is when the players hand is roughly about 45º from the ground when the ball is released.

4. The Spinning Backhand Throw: A unique throw in Dodgeball where an individual spins his/her body very quickly sideways and releases the ball in the opposite manner he/she would during a regular throw, which is to say it will be released with momentum switching to the spin motion while moving 360°, rather than spinning your body forwards. This method of throwing uses different muscles and is very hard as an opponent to judge where it will go. It is very powerful and not too many are capable of doing it, however those who can are quite strong at it.

Throwing is of course a big part of the game. Those who excel at throwing can manipulate the ball to do what it is they want, especially depending on how they hold the ball. That can be from curving to dropping (sinking) on their opponents. Some players are also ambidextrous, meaning they can throw with both their left and right arms – an impressive feature. This only makes that player even more dangerous. 

         Catchers

Not too much to break down here, catchers are those who specialize in catching the ball. What makes them stand out is that in Dodgeball, catching is easily one of the most key aspects. It not only takes one of the opponents players out but it brings your teammate back in. The only thing that catchers face that is a tough task is the catching itself, considering you have throwers who are highly skilled and can predict and manipulate the ball to make it go where they please. This can be low or high, and very quick. Quick reactions and quick with your hands are two characteristics one must possess to excel at this. Always being aware and always knowing your surrounding is very important as well. Positioning your body to receive a ball in the “bread-basket” area may hurt, but also makes it easier as you can smother the ball a lot quicker. Lastly, never giving up on the ball – this means if you are hit and the ball has not touched the ground you can still make the catch! Although throwers seem to get most of the attention due to their force, catchers are a must and are sometimes overlooked. Rarely would you want to risk throwing only one ball at a strong catcher. A team of catchers is just as threatening as a team of throwers, is it not?

        Dodgers

Well, why not – I will say it. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and…dodge! “The five D’s of Dodgeball” made famous by the movie Dodgeball that was released in 2004. Dodgers are those who just continue to find ways of getting out of trouble by constantly dodging the ball, no matter what. Eventually, yes this player will be out or this player will be the one to eliminate the opposing team’s players by him/her catching or throwing at the other team. Players are so often irritated because the dodger just continues to follow the five D’s of Dodgeball and continues to evade the ball! Many players see a dodger as everybody on the court at some point, throwers and catchers will have to dodge as well and I agree with that. However, I do personally believe some are just better dodgers than others. But if time is a factor, then a dodger is good to have.

     Blockers

One of the most overlooked aspects of the game – blocking. Exactly what it sounds like, blocking is using a ball in hand to block an incoming throw and direct it away from you, protecting yourself. There are many players who may excel at throwing and catching, but have a very hard time blocking. It is a skill and something that if you want to get good at, you must practice – just like anything else. I admire blockers and give them credit, it is quite hard and I believe all Dodgeball players should really never underestimate just how key blocking is.

Position: Corner

Corners are players who, depending on how your team decides to play, remains in the corner and always has a ball in hand. They are sometimes known for having very quick and powerful throws, but are mostly recognized for their quick release and accuracy. Simply put, the Corner has outstanding court awareness and focuses mainly on the opposing team’s Corner. As soon as one Corner throws their ball, it is the opposing team’s Corner’s job to eliminate him/her now that he/she is vulnerable. Aside from that, the corner is also somewhat of an intimidating factor. This is done by continuously faking a throw to keep the other team on their heels and to perhaps prevent them from retrieving a rolling ball, by applying that pressure. They are also known to try and catch other players “napping”. This means that if they see you are not focusing or are looking elsewhere and seem unprepared, they will throw their ball at you and catch you off guard.

Position: Center

The big guns, the threatening arms, the power throwers, call it what you would like but the Center position is usually played by those who can throw the ball like a rocket. These are the main powerhouses (although not 100% of the time the case) and opponents look to eliminate them first. Although they may excel at other aspects of the game, they have been recognized as major threats by opposing teams and they are then identified as the number one targets.

Looking at this from another perspective, Centers must also have some sort of ability to either dodge or catch, or even both. If you are being targeted, you need to find a way to remain in the game. How you may ask? Finding a way out of that trouble could possibly come from attempting to catch one of the balls thrown by the other team or by dodging balls coming at you. That’s the name of the game!

Position: Sweeper

Those sweepers, ever so unsuspecting but dangerous and an asset to any team who possesses one. A sweeper is someone who stops the ball from going back to the opposing team and therefore keeps it for his/her team. The reason these sweepers are an asset is because if players on one team are tired (for example) of throwing, simple things like bending down to pick up a ball require energy. Imagine having played for 45 minutes and you are throwing a ball and the ball hits the wall and it comes back to you. You bend down, pick it up and throw it again. What if that was interrupted and instead the sweeper stole the ball and now has an opportunity of eliminating you? Would you have the energy to try and dodge quickly or be prepared for an incoming throw? Sweepers are usually relatively quiet and hidden players who run out, sometimes sacrificing themselves, to retrieve balls for his/her team. Corners are sometimes responsible for scaring them away with their threatening fake throw although Sweepers are very quick in thinking and in speed. Another strong specialty every Dodgeball team should possess.

Clothing/Apparel

Once again, depending on the level you and/or your team play, this can range from simple athletic wear to a team jersey/uniform. To start, players are often seen wearing athletic wear and something they are comfortable in. This does include track pants, shorts, T-shirt, or long sleeve shirts, although the latter causes a lot of warmth. Athletic and indoor shoes are required. Some players do wear Basketball shoes but running shoes are more recommended. 

Health Perspective, Physical Fitness/Exercise, Anatomy Analysis and Advantages/Disadvantages of Dodgeball

Like many other sports, Dodgeball offers many health and fitness benefits for the human body. I will discuss both the advantages and some disadvantages for the human body while participating in Dodgeball and also touch on the fitness aspect of the sport. All of these topics will be intermingled and intertwined.

           Advantages

1. The short bursts of intense movement, whether it be running, jumping or diving, can improve the cardiovascular system of the players. This is done by lowering blood pressure and improving blood circulation, all while burning calories. Dodgeball is a sport that involves constant movement, from your eyes to your entire body.

2. Probably the most obvious advantage; the improvement of agility, balance and anticipation. While playing, players are running but not only running, they are running and are watching to see if a ball is headed their way which will force them to use their body in a different way. The different ways can consist of using your leg muscles (more specifically the quadriceps and calves) to jump hence dodging the ball, or having your arms prepared for a catch in which you need quick reflexes. Certain players’ body will adjust at a more rapid pace depending on other factors such as weight, height and anticipation levels.

3. Considering the size of the court, which really depends on the location, players could possibly be throwing the ball roughly 30-40 feet, if not more. The repetition of this action/motion allows individuals to utilize different muscle within the body. I will outline these muscle below.

Shoulder Muscles – Primarily the deltoids and rotator cuff – which allow your shoulder to rotate back and forth when winding up and throwing, they also provide stability for the shoulder.

Back Muscles – More specifically the latissimus dorsi (lats) which provide stability during the motion of throwing and also providing power to the throw.

Core Muscle – Your core which consists of abdominal muscle, lower back, gluteus muscles, pelvis and hips; these muscle also have an influence and assist you with balance while being able to transfer weight from one leg to the other, all while going from backwards motion to forwards.

Arm Muscle – The triceps, a three “headed” muscle group hence tri, provide much power while releasing the ball and increasing it’s velocity and speed while pushing it forward.

Constantly throwing, dodging and catching a Dodgeball with the above benefits in mind, also provides for much endurance and muscle build up. See the anatomy diagram below, identifying all the mentioned muscles and a little more.

Anterior View – Identified/Mentioned Muscles

All anatomy and other experts please, I encourage you to comment and express your thoughts on these explanations and on these diagrams.

Posterior View – Identified/Mentioned Muscles

4. Ball dodgers, throwers and catchers develop, if they did not possess it already – great hand-eye coordination. There is no need to explain why dodgers and catchers need this as it self-explanatory in my opinion, throwers require this because while throwing they need to anticipate where their target might go, therefore forcing the thrower to try and add a curve to their throw or another method of throwing.

5. With most games being played for an hour, aside from Tournaments, Dodgeball does indeed promote weight loss. Dodgeball works almost your entire body and will require you to sweat a lot, depending how hard you play and how much you enjoy the sport, or even how warm the playing environment is. The constant dodging can last quite a bit of time if you are really good at doing so, hence you constantly burning calories.

6. As mentioned, the constant moving, twisting, jumping and so on really improves an individuals flexibility. Whether it is a simple motion like ducking or a movement that a player did not even think possible to be done, flexibility is very key.

In my personal playing experience, I recall a player on my team throwing at this specific opponent and he (from his knees) went flat on his back and within a matter of seconds he got back up – ninja style if you will. That alone made him a deadly opponent and a tough target.

7. Dodgeball provides much for the human body and mind, but an important one is the fact that it can relieve stress. Whether you are throwing with anger (instead of proper mechanics and motion) or you are just feeling better because you are with your friends laughing and playing, Dodgeball, as a team sport, can provide the feeling of reliving stress. However with that in mind, depending on how competitive of a player you are and how much you want to win, it can bring you down.

Personally, I am down only if I feel as though I did not contribute to my team’s success or if I single handedly lost the game for the team. Also, losing to a team that broke the rules is not fun for anybody involved. For those reading, make sure all rules are respected. There will be times where it is a tough call or hard to see for everybody, but honesty is the best policy and is appreciated more than one would think.

8. As I touched upon, Dodgeball improves an individual’s reflexes very quickly. Whether you are a full time athlete or a first time player, your reflexes constantly improve with each passing minute.

9. A very important aspect in all team sports, the building of teamwork. I am a firm believer that although certain athletes may be stronger in one sport, and yes perhaps that person can beat a team, there will always be instances and games where if you do not play as a team – you will lose. To quote Michael Jordan; “Players win games, teams and intelligence win championships”. A very touching and very true quote that applies to almost every sport and in this case, Dodgeball. Teamwork provides a team with a method and strategy to try and take down your opponents but also builds and reveals character and leaders are displayed, whether silent or verbally strong ones.

10. Dodgeball as a sport itself is simply just FUN. Whether you do it to meet new people, whether you participate because you are new to a city or town or whether you do this to impress your coworkers and propel yourself in the professional workplace, Dodgeball brings people together and provides much fun. Just like any other sport, it does cause frustration among some but this is a sport and that cannot be predicted.

Disadvantages

Well, I will spend very little time on this section but still, it is important to identify a few disadvantages. In my closed mind, there are no disadvantages to playing/participating in Dodgeball but realistically, yes there are.

1. The first and most important disadvantage is those who do not respect rules and decide to use Dodgeball as a “legal” way of bullying and causing harm with the intent to injure an opponent. Usually this would be fueled by a previous action in the past between certain individuals nonetheless, I would love to see no bullying in Dodgeball or at all ever.

2. Some believe the sport is too violent and can cause pain to others. Yes, unfortunately this is true but what one needs to remember is that all sports are dangerous and one must take all precautions while participating in any sport, whether you are a veteran of the game or a beginner.

3. If a player does not properly monitor his/her body, he/she can feel pain after the game due to lack of stretching, simple carelessness or overuse without taking a break. The body is a temple and should always be repaired if needed. If one feels pain from too much throwing, or feels pain from being hit very hard by the ball, this is something to contain right away. Keep each other safe, care for each other and make sure everybody is doing well, including yourself. This sport may not be for all but the pain is what should be eliminated. Maintain your physical exercise and participate by keeping your body intact. In the end, Dodgeball brings a community together and creates it’s own. All players/members should care and continuously help and support each other.

Personal Experience

Although I have been playing for several years now, I decided to select the pictures below as a brief example of how popular Dodgeball is. The first picture I selected was taken while I participated in the well known “Forest City Dodgeball Invitational Tournament” that takes place in London, Ontario. This was the 5th installment of the tournament and was a great experience for me, especially playing against players and teams from northern USA and various cities throughout Canada. It was also great to be among individuals who share my obsession, my passion for Dodgeball. These games were classified as competitive and therefore used competitive rules, rather than recreational.

Forest City Invitational Dodgeball Tournament – Strategy Discussion Amongst Teammates

The second picture I selected was taken during the National Dodgeball Tournament in Barrie, the largest in North America and perhaps in the world, from what I hear. I can easily say this was the most beneficial tournament for me and for anybody to learn what skill is out there and how to prepare yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and learnt so much, I am glad to have participated. Although sadly I was unable to grab a full team picture, below are both myself and some of my teammates getting ready to begin the game. This team was registered in the “Co-Ed Competitive” division and the team was named “Hot Dodge”.

Team: Hot Dodge – National Dodgeball Festival

The following two pictures below are from a tournament that took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This tournament is known as the “2V2 Tournament” and is held once a month, usually during the summer months. This tournament was played in July (Picture 1) and took place in batting cages and is held to two teammates and had three division; Men’s, Women’s, and CoEd. This picture is of my teammate and I, strategizing our next move.

Picture 1 – July 2V2 Tournament – Men’s Division – Discussion Amongst Teammates

The following picture (Picture 2) is the same 2V2 Tournament but this took place in August, new teams, new competition!

Picture 2 – August 2V2 Tournament – Men’s Division – Teammates

Lastly, the picture below (Picture 3) is myself with one of the best Dodgeball players I have ever had the pleasure of sharing the court with. I was given the opportunity to wear her jersey and I felt a great amount of support and proudness to do so. The support I received from her was unbelievable and I had a memorable time at this 2V2 tournament. Although we were not teammates, we were always there watching each other’s game and lending advice if necessary. I am happy to say, we share a very special connection that is unmatched.

Picture 3 – Starstruck!

 

Conclusion

I strongly encourage individuals to get involved in playing Dodgeball within their community. Not only is it an incredible sport, but it also allows you to meet new people and in turn, make friends. It is a unique sport that has a lot to offer and I hope to see it continue to grow and attract worldwide attention.

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Mortal Kombat – Fujin, Li Mei, Nitara, Havik, Sareena and Frost

Although the Mortal Kombat postings have come to an end (for the time being) I did want to speak of four final characters who I will not number, but simply briefly touch upon. I believe these characters to have a solid role in the game and although they are not the most popular, they are important and I believe should at least have the honourable mention. Speaking for one in specific, Nitara, I included her in this posting not because of her role but because of her unique approach and because yes, I do like her as a character.

Fujin

Fujin – MKX

Fujin, God of Wind and from the Heavens, he fights alongside the “Forces of Light” at the Battle of Armageddon and works very closely with Raiden. First seen in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Fujin was a boss character. His physical appearance is a tall man with a muscular tone and somewhat long white hair and glowing white eyes. Although he is somewhat of a minor character, his abilities and influence on the Mortal Kombat Tournament is immense. He is seen in MKX fighting with Raiden against Quan Chi and his evil forces. Quan Chi was an eye witness to Shinnok’s defeat and his subsequent “trapped” body in his own Amulet.

Li Mei

Li Mei – MKX

Subtle and beautiful, kind and generous, Li Mei came to Sonya Blade (with her people) and her group to seek refuge and asylum from the impact of the Outworld Civil War, in MKX. She possesses valuable information as she witnessed Mileena use Shinnok’s Amulet against Kotal Kahn. She also described to Sonya an individual who turned out to be Kano, Sonya instantly knew. She is later seen working with the good aligned characters as her goal is peace for her Outworld residence. I really like Li Mei and am happy to see here slowly climbing her way back into a more of a bigger role within Mortal Kombat. She allies herself with the Special Forces group and Raiden.

Nitara

Nitara – MK: Armageddon

A relatively unknown character due to her minor role and appearance within the Mortal Kombat franchise, Nitara is a vampires who lives of others to remain alive. Similar to Shang Tsung, instead of souls she requires blood, as you may have guessed. Her goal is not to participate necessarily in the tournament but instead to separate her home realm, Vaeternus, from Outworld. She appears as a gothic individual who despite this appearance, is morally neutral.

She did work with Cyrax and Reptile on certain mission and she does consider them allies, while Shao Kahn is a great enemy of hers.

Havik

Havik – MK: Armageddon

The Cleric of Chaos, Havik is an individual who often betrays others and does his best to disrupt any order – he thrives of chaos. Originally from the Chaosrealm, Havik is not really good or bad, but instead he just wants to spread disorder.

In MK9, he is seen working with Noob Saibot as the two create and caused havoc to the realms .Satisfied with his work, he returns to his home realm and Noob Saibot is seen ruling the Netherrealm. He is very popular in the comics and can be seen working with Reiko among others.

Sareena

Sareena – MKX

Sareena, a beautiful woman who first appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as a boss character. Originally a demon and assassin from the Netherrealm, she worked for Quan Chi but later turned against him. Initially, she required Quan Chi’s magic to keep her looking beautiful, otherwise she would turn into her demon form. Since she escaped and turned against him, she has found a way to keep her beauty without his help.

She makes a quick appearance in MKX speaking with Kitana, as she is a revenant, about how to “snap out” of her spell but to no avail. She currently is a aligned with the good and has alliances with Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei although she does fear her demon form taking over her and possibly changing her allegiance. I really like Sareena and am happy that she, just like Li Mei, make a good appearance in MKX and hopefully in future releases of the game.

Frost

Frost – MKX

First appearing in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as Sub-Zero’s apprentice, Frost is a powerful but very forceful fighter. Not afraid of anything, she has much arrogance and hostility towards possible threats.

Fans have really come to like her and want to see her more involved in Mortal Kombat. She does make an appearance in MKX, running towards Scorpion to attack him before Sub-Zero freezes her and explains the situation to Scorpion.

She is originally from Earthrealm and is a cryomancer. Her allies are Sub-Zero with Scorpion being an enemy of hers.

I like Frost and think she does have a good role within the games and can easily be developed and included.

Conclusion

Finally, as I am sure many of you are a little tired of these postings, we have made it. Thank you for allowing me to take you on this journey that saw us asking questions and understanding certain concepts of the Mortal Kombat games. I apologize for not including very much from the Mortal Kombat movies , TV series and comics. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and to allow me to express and share my favourite game with you. Yes, I realize I was a little inconsistent by jumping around from game to game or game to movie, but as I said in the introduction, it would not be easy to follow otherwise, considering Mortal Kombat itself can be complex at times.

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Mortal Kombat – Shinnok, Shao Kahn, Queen Sindel, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi

This is it, if you decided to push yourself and keep reading all of my Mortal Kombat posts, these are the final warriors up for discussion number 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 – Shinnok, Shao Kahn, Sindel, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi respectively.

34. Shinnok

Shinnok – MKX

Shinnok’s name has been mentioned while discussing other warriors but now it is time to focus solely on him.

Originally a God and from the Heavens, now referred to as the “Fallen Elder God”, Shinnok resides in the Netherrealm  and is one of the most evil characters in the entire Mortal Kombat franchise. Very powerful and deceiving, Shinnok first appeared in Mortal Kombat Mythologies; Sub-Zero as “the boss” and most recently appeared in MKX, delivering the same role. He is also the leader of the “Forces of Darkness” during the Battle of Armageddon.

Speaking of Armageddon, in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Taven (protagonist) is amazed that Shinnok, whom (to Taven) believed to still be an Elder God, required his help. The entire time, Shinnok was working with Daegon, Taven’s brother. They were trying to eliminate Taven but Shinnok did not have enough power to do so alone at the time, hence why he was taking his time to regain his powers and work with Taven’s brother. The two ultimately fail as Taven does defeat his brother and was surprised to learn the whole plot against him.

Shinnok possesses many magical powers, which goes back through Ancient times and works hand in hand with manipulation. Undisputed ruler of the Netherrealm, he has been alive for millions of years, continuously acquiring knowledge and power as he cannot necessarily “die” due to his Elder God nature. As MKX illustrated, with the help of his Amulet, he is able to turn into a massive demon, both in height and strength. It is said that he can manipulate almost anybody as he was the one who convinced Quan Chi to convince Shao Kahn to merge Earthrealm and Outworld against the Elder God’s will. This resulted in both realms being at a weakened state, allowing for the Netherrealm to invade and possibly take power.

Heartless and ready to kill anybody who opposes him in the slightest, it is said that his sorcery however can be matched by Shang Tsung, Delia, Shao Kahn and Quan Chi – an impressive feature if you ask me.

Sometimes referred to as Lord Shinnok by his followers and minions, he is often seen battling Raiden. Raiden (and to a lesser extent Fujin) is responsible for his defeat and locking him up in the Netherrealm. This took place millennia ago and the reason he is considered a Fallen Elder God is because he wanted to conquer all of reality.

I was happy to see more of him in a modern release of the game as he was always discussed in an evil manner and always was an evil leader but never really demonstrated it. MKX was a perfect representation of this and the way he spoke and acted was perfect for the game, in my opinion – although his demon figure (known as Corrupted Shinnok) was a little scary. Currently, at the end of MKX, post credits, Raiden is said to have warned Liu Kang and Kitana (both revenant’s), who are now the Netherrealm leaders due to Shinnok’s defeat, that they better not even think of harming Earthrealm unless they want to face fates worse than death. Raiden leaves by showing them Shinnok’s severed but still living head. He is now condemned to a immobile state.

Shinnok’s current allies are D’Vorah, Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung and the remaining revenants – for the time being.

35. Shao Kahn

Shao Kahn – MK9

Debuting in Mortal Kombat II, Shao Kahn is arguably the most well known villain in the Mortal Kombat franchise. Obsessed with conquering realms, he himself is from and resides in Outworld. Despite much confusion, he is NOT a God but instead just a very powerful and dark leader who possess so much power that it is ALMOST God-like. Known as the “conqueror”, he, among many other evil leader, is the definition of the word “evil”. He is always seen as the major rival of Raiden and vise-versa. In the second Mortal Kombat movie, Raiden states that Shao Kahn is his brother and that their father is Shinnok, however the games have not made reference to this. However, during the games, it is referenced that he treats Queen Sindel like his own wife. He is, as many already know, not the real father of Princess Kitana but does refer to her as his daughter. King Jerrod is Kitana’s father however Shao Kahn killed him.

What really makes him so powerful you ask? Well it is because of his profound knowledge of black arts and black magic. Like other villains throughout the Mortal Kombat universe, he has the power to consume other warriors’ souls. Shao Kahn may represent evil and power, but he cannot easily be played into a trap. He is very smart and cunning as he tends to have his plans for attack very well organized, including proper timing. He does however make basic mistakes, such as invading Earthrealm and underestimating it’s fighters.

The main issue with Shao Kahn trying to conquer Earthrealm is because to do so without limitation, he needs to win 10 straight Mortal Kombat Tournaments, and it is said he has only won 9.

He is also well known for his weapon of choice; Wrath Hammer. This big weapon allows him to swing, like a baseball bat, his opponents far away with brute strength. It is obvious throughout the series how much Shao Kahn likes this weapon and how powerful the evil conquer really is. At the end of MK9, Raiden defeats Shao Kahn and shortly after one can see Quan Chi make his way on scene and he is plotting with Shinnok. This plot is the storyline of the following game; MKX.

36. Queen Sindel

Queen Sindel – MK9

Known for her aerial magic and sonic waves (scream), Queen Sindel is Queen of Edenia and mother to Princess Kitana. Surprisingly not one of the main characters in the game, Sindel continues to have a major impact on the Mortal Kombat tournament and unfolding of events within.

In MK9 she is found and brought back to life by Quan Chi (he just brings all bad people back!) to help the evil side consume Earthrealm. Instantly after being brought back to life and hearing that her daughter Kitana has joined the Earthrealm warriors, she abandons her and gladly accepts to work with evil. Why was she dead in the first place? Excellent questions. She was forced into marriage with Shao Kahn when he conquered Edenia. In an attempt to foil the evil emperors plans, she sacrificed herself and committed suicide. This suicide prevented Shao Kahn from moving forward with his plot and created a magical barrier, with him no longer able to step foot in Edenia. Being resurrected and having her mind enslaved, Shao Kahn is able to continue what he had initially planned. In MK9, she destroyed almost all Earthrealm warriors in the climax of the game, except Nightwolf who sacrificed himself and destroyed her in the process. Personally I was highly irritated with this concept as she gets resurrected and what feels like minutes later, wipes out pretty much all Earthrealm warriors. That really frustrates me as she was barely in the game to begin with and she had no need to be so over powered.

Aside from that, she was first seen in MK3, a game that saw many new characters.Eventually, she did turn good and is now a revenant as seen in MKX working once again for evil. Her allies, aside from other revenants are Shinnok, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung.

Queen Sindel – MKX (Revenant)

37. Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung (Younger) – MK9

The much talked about Shang Tsung is a unique and very powerful character. A sorcered and another primary villain in the game, he is a shapeshifter and can utilize the abilities of those who he changes into. To be able to live comfortably in appearance and feeling, he needs to consume souls and life. His appearance of well-dressed and professionalism is all a ruse, hiding his true intentions of evil domination. He and Liu Kang have one of the most popular rivalries in all of Mortal Kombat, often seen going at it in combat, or should I say Kombat!?

He is a character that over the years I have come to appreciate. A very well played, craft and intellectual villain, he is often seen convincing Shao Kahn for another chance at something he had failed to do so successfully the first time. Shao Kahn knows how powerful Shang is and he continues to grant him pardon. Originally from Outworld, he has close ties with Shinnok, Quan Chi and Shao Kahn.

If an opponent challenges or reaches a stage to challenge Shang Tsung and is defeated, he consumes their soul. He is as mentioned very crafty and often sabotages many Earthrealm warriors, hindering them or weakening them prior to their opportunity to fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament. This could be done by he himself or by other villains who he ordered to do so. According to Mortal Kombat creators, Shang Tsung pledged his life to Shao Kahn in exchange for enhanced powers, to which Shao Kahn granted. He now is bound to Shao Kahn.

In MK9, via Baraka’s ending, it can be seen that Shang Tsung does want ultimate power all for himself as he was impersonating Shao Kahn but Baraka could not be fooled as he killed him. It is also said that Shao Kahn wanted to enhance Queen Sindel’s power so he stole from Shang Tsung and this eventually killed him. In MKX, he is not seen until Ermac’s ending where Ermac is seen wandering in the labyrinth when all of a sudden Shang Tsung appears out of nowhere and acquires SOME souls from Ermac, leading fans to believe he is making a return in some way.

What has come into question is why Quan Chi did not resurrect Shang Tsung’s soul. This could have been intentionally done as Shao Kahn did grant Quan Chi the right to resurrect souls of only fallen Earthrealm warriors but not of his own servants. This is a reason as to why he was not resurrected.

Shang Tsung (Older) – MK9

38. Quan Chi

Quan Chi – MKX

Lastly, a character I really dislike but had to include through the writing series; Quan Chi.

First heard of in the Mortal Kombat: Defeanders of the Realm TV series, Quan Chi is easily one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Mortal Kombat franchise. A demon and necromancer from the Netherrealm is occasionally known to have his own plot, despite looking like he is following that of the supreme leader. He allies himself with individuals, usually evil in nature, if he believes they can help him or he can use them to attain his own goals.

I will not repeat the whole story again as I have already done so twice now in two separate sections, but he is the reason for Scorpion’s family and clan, the Shirai Ryu’s, extinction. Quan Chi is a member of the Brotherhood of Shadow faction and can be seen alongside most of its members, mostly Noob Saibot.

He specializes in resurrecting fallen warriors to assist him with his own plot. Examples of this can include Scorpion and Noob Saibot, and the revenants in MKX. Speaking of MKX, Sub-Zero (as mentioned in Sub-Zero and Scorpion’s section) explains to Scorpion that Quan Chi was responsible for his family and clans demise. A great scene that I liked in MKX was finally, as Hanzo Hasashi, Scorpion KILLED Quan Chi. I am hoping that no longer can he magically re-appear and cause havoc. He always walked away untouched and showed up once everybody was either weak or dead and began implementing his plans, so annoying but smart. I apologize for my words, as I said he plays the villain role so well that I despise him for it. Despite everything, he is a strong warrior and one who can re-appear but ideally not in the same capacity and perhaps weaker, if he returns at all.

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Mortal Kombat – Goro, Kintaro, Sheeva Motaro

Warriors number 30, 31, 32 and 33 are all beasts and fearsome warriors who are fueled with destruction and pain.

30. Goro

Goro – MKX

First debuting as a sub-boss to Shang Tsung in the original Mortal Kombat game, Goro (sometimes referred to as Prince Goro) is the first Mortal Kombat character to have four arms and represent the closest thing to a beast. His species, the Shokan, are a race comprising of half human and half dragon warriors that are originally from Outworld. In comparison to another Shokan, Kintaro, Goro is of the “Draco Lineage”. He has been the Mortal Kombat tournament champion for nine generations, making him undefeated in 500 years. Needless to say, Goro is a favourite of Shao Kahn because of his winning ways and absolute will to kill.

Depending on how you view it, during the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, some say Liu Kang is the one who beat him while others (according to the first Mortal Kombat movie) say Johnny Cage beat Goro and killed him.

In MKX, the Shokan are not on either side of the Outworld Civil War and remain outcasts. Not having a serious role in MKX, many believe that Goro will return and play a bigger role in future installments of the game but this is just a rumour. He allies himself currently with Kintaro, Sheeva, Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung.

31. Kintaro

Kintaro – MK9

Kintaro, another Shokan but of the “Tigrar Lineage”, is another bloodthirsty four armed beast who is often seen with Goro. Throughout the Mortal Kombat franchise, he is the only Shokan of Tigrar Lineage. According to his biography in MK9, his lineage and therefore his body markings (similar to tiger stripes) represent the lower-class for the Shokan, in comparison to Goro’s (and Sheeva’s) Draco Lineage for example.

Like many Shokan, he thrives off destruction and loves to fight. He is responsible for burning Kabal, hence why Kabal needs to constantly wear his mask and respirator for the rest of his life. 

He is last seen in MK9 fighting with Goro against Cyber Sub-Zero, to which both Shokan’s are defeated. He does fit the Mortal Kombat role well and plays an evil warrior very well. Often defeated, he does have the strength and power, however he sometimes underestimates the human spirit. Prior to his demise, he was allies with Goro, Sheeva and Shao Kahn.

32. Sheeva

Sheeva – MK9

The last Shokan up for discussion, and one who possess the same lineage as Goro, Sheeva. Sheeva’s race, like the above two warriors, are rivals to the Centaurian race. Tall, muscular and powerful, Sheeva serves as the personal bodyguard of Queen Sindel.

In MK9, Sheeva is seen as a the guardian of captured Earthrealm warriors. An example of this is when Liu Kang and Kung Lao come to try and rescue Kitana, but Sheeva and Noob Saibot were waiting for them and they begin to fight. She remains the jailer of Shao Kahn’s dungeon, appointed this position by the evil conqueror himself.

Sheeva is a unique character as she manages to be play a decent size role in the game and seems to make an appearance at just the right time, in my opinion. While combatting her, she is notorious for her “Death from Above” move, where she jumps high into the sky and lands on her opponent. As mentioned, she and her race remain outcasts and she allies herself with Kintaro, Goro, Shao Kahn and Queen Sindel.

33. Motaro

Motaro – MK: Armageddon

First appearing in Mortal Kombat 3, Motaro is of the Centaurian (sometimes referred to as Minotaur) race that rivals the Shokan’s, hence his anger toward Sheeva – first seen in the Mortal Kombat Annihilation movie. Being of this race, his lower half is that of a horse while his top half is of a man. He also has horns on his head and a long tail that causes a lot of damage. Approximately 9-foot tall, he is a beast who proudly serves Shao Kahn. His race is well known for their hunting and their somewhat mystical magical skills. The Centaurians see the Shokan race as inferior and are constantly going against each other to prove their worth to Shao Kahn.

In the Mortal Kombat movie, number 2 – Annihilation, he is seen in the climax of the movie fighting against Jax. Throughout their fight, he rips off one of Jax’s cybernetic arms. This forces Jax to realize that he was much stronger without them, which is what Raiden was telling him all along. After realizing this, Jax went on a rampage and eventually killed Motaro.

I am fan of Motaro and would love to see him return in the Mortal Kombat games. A well thought out character and a deadly opponent, he can provide much asset and much storyline for Mortal Kombat games. He does make a very slight appearance in MK9. He is seen in Shao Kahn’s Arena, listening to his leader talk about his plans and is also seen fighting (in the background) Johnny Cage when Raiden flies in and strikes Motaro – killing him. He is last seen being brought back to Shao Kahn dead, to the emperors surprise and anger. He was allies with Goro, Kintaro and Sindel.

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Mortal Kombat – Kano and Tremor

Warriors number 28 and 29 are two from the Black Dragon clan; Kano and Tremor.

28. Kano

Kano – MKX

A well known mercenary and leader of the crime ridden faction Black Dragon, Kano is originally from Earthrealm, more specifically from Australia however he resides in Outworld. Kano is a very brutal individual who does not seem to have much remorse either. Kano, also known to be quite resourceful, is an original Mortal Kombat character. He is the man responsible for Sonya’s partner’s death and Sonya ever since then has wanted to capture and even kill him. Although he may work well with his Black Dragon clan members, he is often known to betray those he either works with or works for. This is usually done for financial gain or if a better opportunity presented itself. Another well known personality trait of his is his dark and twisted sense of humour, making jokes of the most serious of scenarios.

Despite this, Kano does remain a fan favourite – many (including myself) love to see this type of character make his way in realms full of superhuman beings. On the right side of his face, it is clear one can identify his bionic eye. This bionic eye provides him with infrared vision and a deadly laser emission. He first got this cybernetic eye because of facial damage which Jax Briggs is responsible for giving. This even occurred before Mortal Kombat, on Earthrealm. Surgically placed on his face, Kano can have greater focus and greater amounts of power because of it. A trigger happy, crime loving individual such as Kano possessing this, makes him even more dangerous than he already is.

Always a villain, he remains an undisciplined fighter and relies on his bionic eye, clan members and brute strength during battles. He can be hired for the right price and this is seen several times throughout the game, especially in MK9 and MKX. In MK9, he is hired by Shang Tsung and he provides Shang Tsung with different types of weapons and explains their worth and functions. In MKX, he is hired by Mileena to take down the usurper Kotal Kahn, a man he was working for. He does have military background training  which allowed him to run the Black Dragon. Kano is forever a survivor and always seems to squeak his way out of almost all situations. A weapons expert, tough combatant and an unpredictable dirty dealer, Kano is a formidable foe and remains dangerous at all times.

29. Tremor

Tremor – MKX (Metallic Variation)

First appearing in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Tremor is a former member of the Black Dragon Clan. He is originally from Earthrealm and yes, is human despite his appearance as another species. Really given a backstory in MKX, Tremor seems to have some animosity towards Kano as he believes Kano led the clan on a life-threatening mission, where Tremor mentions to him, during their dialogue, that he nearly escaped with his life, to which Kano mentions how fun it was.

He has the power of an earth elemental. This means he can create earthquakes, has the ability to project stones and lava and he can also shape the ground to suit him. It is said Kano sent Tremor to acquire a “psych-bomb” which Kano would then use in the theft of Shinnok’s Amulet. This mission is believed to be the cause of animosity between the two. Along with Kano, Tremor has great hate for the Special Forces, more specifically Jax Briggs as in a previous game installment (MK: Special Forces) Jax engages in combat and eventually kills Tremor.

I am very happy to see Tremor in MKX and having a great appearance and attitude, as well as abilities. He is easily one of my top favourite characters and with a unique name, abilities and sense of humour, I believe he does have potential to be good despite being currently aligned with evil. He expressed, in MKX, how beautiful he finds Princess Kitana and also expresses to Mileena that she is reborn in the Dream Realm, the realm he travelled to, to acquire the mentioned “psych bomb”.

Tremor – MKX (Crystalline Variation)

His MKX ending states that he, after defeating Shinnok, has his powers enhanced. This enhancement expanded his mind as well and is said to have the power to rival that of the Thunder God (Raiden) and Wind God (Fujin). His current allies are minor characters, both current Black Dragon clan members, Jarek and Tasia.

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